Abstract
Because microorganisms adhere to carbon fibers, it has been used in the purification of fresh water in rivers and lakes. However, presently there has been little known about the purification of seawater. The authors investigated the adhesion of marine organisms to carbon fibers and attempted to broaden the variety of uses for carbon fibers. Initially they extracted carbon fibers previously placed in the sea and took samples of the microorganisms and measured the number of viable bacteria. They found that the marine microbes adhered to the carbon fibers in a short time. Subsequently, carbon fibers suspended in dirty seawater had reduced the turbidity and COD. They then laid the carbon fibers near a fish farm at the sea, and investigated the adhesive strength at the surface and at the bottom, for not only microorganisms but also the quantity of shrimp and lugworms. They considered that carbon fibers could be used in purification of seawater and formation of artificial seaweed beds.
